{"record":{"id":"d9f9d25f16a2f01e","repo":"cilium/cilium","slug":"unable-to-retrieve-helm-meta-from-release-s-w","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"unable to retrieve helm meta from release %s: %w","messagePattern":"unable to retrieve helm meta from release (.+?): %w","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"cilium-cli/k8s/client.go","lineNumber":1184,"sourceCode":"\t}\n\treturn valuesBuf.String(), nil\n}\n\n// GetHelmMetadata is the function for cilium cli sysdump to collect the helm metadata from the release directly\nfunc (c *Client) GetHelmMetadata(_ context.Context, releaseName string, namespace string) (string, error) {\n\tif c.RESTClientGetter == nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"no RESTClientGetter for Helm Values\")\n\t}\n\thelmDriver := \"\"\n\tactionConfig := action.Configuration{}\n\tif err := actionConfig.Init(c.RESTClientGetter, namespace, helmDriver); err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", err\n\t}\n\n\tclient := action.NewGetMetadata(&actionConfig)\n\tmeta, err := client.Run(releaseName)\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"unable to retrieve helm meta from release %s: %w\", releaseName, err)\n\t}\n\n\tbuf := new(bytes.Buffer)\n\tif err = output.EncodeYAML(buf, meta); err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"unable to parse helm metas from release %s: %w\", releaseName, err)\n\t}\n\treturn buf.String(), nil\n}\n\n// CreateEphemeralContainer will create a EphemeralContainer (debug container) in the specified pod.\n// EphemeralContainers are special containers which can be added after-the-fact in running pods. They're\n// useful for debugging, either when the target container image doesn't have necessary tools, or because\n// the pod has no running containers due to a crash.\n//\n// see https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/pods/ephemeral-containers/\n//\n// EphemeralContainers were added in there current form (behind a feature gate) in 1.22. They are scheduled for GA in v1.25.\nfunc (c *Client) CreateEphemeralContainer(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod, ec *corev1.EphemeralContainer) (*corev1.Pod, error) {","sourceCodeStart":1166,"sourceCodeEnd":1202,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/cilium/cilium/blob/ac7b90affa4baf0642e6685319d56907b3a73a6d/cilium-cli/k8s/client.go#L1166-L1202","documentation":"Returned by `Client.GetHelmMetadata` when Helm's `GetMetadata` action fails for the named release after the action config initialized. The wrapped error is Helm's own — most commonly 'release: not found' (wrong release name/namespace, or Cilium not installed via Helm) or storage/read failures for the release record.","triggerScenarios":"Calling `GetHelmMetadata(ctx, releaseName, namespace)` where the Helm release does not exist at that name/namespace (custom release name, manifest-installed Cilium), the release was purged, or the Helm storage backend (secret/configmap) is unreadable due to RBAC or corruption.","commonSituations":"Cilium deployed with manifests/kustomize so no Helm release exists; cilium-cli sysdump run against a cluster where the release lives in a non-default namespace; RBAC denying secret reads in kube-system; failed/pending helm upgrade leaving the release in a non-queryable state.","solutions":["Run `helm list -A` and confirm the exact releaseName and namespace","Install Cilium through Helm if it wasn't (no metadata exists for manifest installs)","Check RBAC for reading Helm storage secrets in the release namespace","Inspect the wrapped Helm error: 'not found' → fix name/namespace; storage errors → repair Helm storage"],"exampleFix":"// before\nmeta, err := client.GetHelmMetadata(ctx, \"cilium\", \"cilium-system\") // wrong namespace, release is in kube-system\n// after\nns := \"kube-system\" // verify with: helm list -A\nmeta, err := client.GetHelmMetadata(ctx, \"cilium\", ns)\nif err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"not found\") {\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"cilium helm release not found in %s — was Cilium installed via Helm?\", ns)\n}","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"meta, err := helmGetMetadata.Run(releaseName) // or helm list first\nif err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"not found\") {\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"helm release %q not found in %q\", releaseName, namespace)\n}","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"meta, err := client.GetHelmMetadata(ctx, release, ns)\nif err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"unable to retrieve helm meta\") {\n    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"not found\") {\n        return fmt.Errorf(\"no cilium helm release %s/%s — manifest install?\", ns, release)\n    }\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"helm storage error: %w\", err)\n}","preventionTips":["Verify the release exists and its namespace with `helm list -A` first","Use Helm installs of Cilium when metadata/values collection matters","Grant RBAC to read Helm storage secrets/configmaps in the release namespace","Check release status is deployed/complete (failed upgrades can hide metadata)"],"tags":["helm","kubernetes","sysdump","cilium"],"backgroundTag":"helm-release-not-found","analyzedSha":"ac7b90affa4baf0642e6685319d56907b3a73a6d","analyzedAt":"2026-08-31T18:27:15.868Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-31T19:17:28.585Z"}